Is Sutureless Pancreaticogastrostomy More Effective than Single-Layer Duct-to-Mucosa Pancreaticojejunostomy in Pancreaticoduodenectomy?

OBJECTIVE The present study aimed to assess the safety of pancreatic anastomosis after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and to compare the results of sutureless pancreatogastrostomy (PG) with those of single-layer duct-to-mucosa pancreatojejunostomy (PJ) after PD in patients with malignant disease of the pancreatic head and of the periampullary region. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study included 173 consecutive patients undergoing PD from May 2009 to December 2015 at a single surgical center. Single-layer duct-to-mucosa PJ was performed in 52 patients and sutureless PG in the remaining 123. The primary endpoint was the safety of the procedures, which was assessed as the occurrence of complications during hospitalization. Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) was classified as grade A, B, or C according to the International Study Group of Pancreatic Fistula classification. RESULTS We found that the incidence of POPF was 11.52%. With regard to POPF, the present study showed no significant difference in the two groups (p=0.043). The incidence of Grade C POPF was significantly higher in the PJ group than in the PG group (p=0.001), which was been reflected in the form of a higher rate of postoperative hemorrhage (p=0.001), intra-abdominal abscess (p=0.012), and septic shock (p=0.012) events in the PJ group. CONCLUSION The evaluation of short-term outcomes demonstrates that suturelessPG is a feasible and safe technique, associated with lower life-threatening complications than single-layer duct-to-mucosa PJ. If long-term functional outcomes confirm similar results, sutureless PG could become a valid alternative for pancreatic anastomosis after PD in patients with soft pancreas and high morbidity.